Gerard van Bohemen: NZ on the Security Council: The insider’s view speaking tour

Folks

You are invited to attend the following presentation by Gerard van Bohemen, NZ’s ambassador to the UN

Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen will discuss New Zealand’s recently completed two-year term on the UN Security Council. Gerard led the New Zealand team in New York during this once in a generation opportunity for our country; he will focus on what it was like operating inside the Council, the challenges, the achievements and the disappointments.

In this “view from within” account, Gerard will provide an insider’s perspective of what operating in the Council – and behind its closed doors – was like, how New Zealand sought to influence the way in which the Council goes about its business and some of the less visible gains New Zealand made along the way.

This is your chance to ask some searching questions about Resolution 2334:

• Why did NZ not just exercise a vote to support the resolution, and instead decided to take the role of co-sponsor?
• Were NZ’s motives behind the resolution based on a strategy to build stronger relations with potential trade partners such as Iran?
• Does NZ realise that it has harmed the relationship between our two countries?
• Has NZ noticed that many countries who voted for the resolution, have since sought to distance themselves from it?
• What is NZ doing about rebuilding the relationship?

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Gerard van Bohemen is New Zealand’s Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations. He led New Zealand’s Mission to the United Nations in New York during New Zealand’s two-year term as a non- permanent member of the Security Council ( 2015-2016).

Prior to his role as Permanent Representative, he was Deputy Secretary at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, responsible for Multilateral and Legal Affairs. In this role, he oversaw the Ministry’s Consular Division, Environment Division, International Security and Disarmament Division, Legal Division, and United Nations, Human Rights & Commonwealth Division.

ITINERARY

WELLINGTON:  Wednesday, March 15, 5:40pm:  GBLT1, Old Government Buildings (Behind Law School), Victoria University, 55 Lambton Quay

CHRISTCHURCH: Thursday March 16, 5pm, Arts Lecture Theatre A4, University of Canterbury.  See map.

HAVELOCK NORTH CLUB, March 17, 2pm.